there is street-to-street fighting here in ajdabiya. we're taking cover behind a bus, as the rebels are trying to push out gadhafi forces that still hold large pockets of this city. the rebels reload in the middle of the street. it's hard to know where the bullets are coming from. open intersections are especially exposed. so we run through them. they say there are snipers on the road, so you have to go from cover to cover. the rebels advance, they reload, they hide behind whatever wall they can find, and then they push forward. the rebels remain poorly armed, but highly motivated. our goal is to free this city and all of libya from tyranny, said one fighter. as we leave ajdabiya, we see hundreds more rebels pouring in. they're confident because now they're getting help from above. this gun camera shows a british warplane launching devastating attacks on gadhafi's tanks near ajdabiya. with air power and reinforcements, the rebels hope to capture ajdabiya within days. ajdabiya is significant, lester, because if the rebels can take it, it

for the first time in 10 days, we were able to get into ajdabiya. the stain of smoke rising from a fight that's reaching a crescendo. this is who the u.n. resolution is supposed to protect. he's not a fighter but lives here and this morning he was robbed and shot at by government troops. he's lucky to be alive. he speaks of the terror of living in ajdabiya and wants one simple thing -- more coalition attacks. we've just come into ajdabiya itself. you can hear the sound of gunfire. there have been heavy explosions. we've seen air bursts, artillery as well. and there are rumors that colonel gaddafi has put snipers up on the rooftop and we've heard that sharp sound as bullets go by so we're taking shelter at this end. and the rebel fighters have now pushed into the city. and that's why the fighting here seems to be quite so intense. the shooting gets much closer. we're caught in the crossfire. it's a graphic illustration of what the people here have lived with and why they desperately need help from the outside world. ian panel, bbc news, ajdabiya. >>

government forces filmed on the other side of ajdabiya.ot huge numbers but enough to push the opposition back this far. the regime claims that within two days these troops will be in benghazi. >> now ajdabiya but tomorrow in benghazi! >> but this is not a done deal. there's no sign of panic in benghazi. defend yans is more like it. -- defiance is more like it. >> we want to show it's be true, nobody is coming to benghazi. plus it's all women so we are showing that women have, you know, ideas and they can talk out in this revolution and even after this revolution, you know? >> it's one month since the revolution in libya began and it all started in this city. but tonight it's come back to their doorstep and victory feels more elusive than ever. >> soldiers in bahrain are enforcing a night curfew and have taken up positions in the capital of man -- manama. the american secretary of state, hillary clinton, condemned the use of force against the demonstrators. security forces in siria arrested people as they broke up a demonstration in damascu

are you going to try again tomorrow to get to ajdabiya? >> reporter: rebels are planning to get there as well, vowing to push all the way to tripoli and bring down the government. "we will take down that crazy qaddafi" he says. but jiahani tells us he just wants to see his besieged city finally free. the latest reports we're hearing is that there is fierce fighting going on in ajdabiya at the moment. the front line has been very fluid, moving several miles in a day. katie? >> couric: and, mandy, what's going on right now where you are in benghazi? >> well, the main concern here is pockets of rogue elements loyal to qaddafi that are doing hit-and-run attacks so rebels here have been beefing up security, adding more checkpoints in key locations. >> couric: mandy clark, as always, mandy, thank you so much. meanwhile, house speaker john boehner called on president obama today to make clear exactly what the mission in libya is and how it will be accomplished. david martin reports the president and the military tried to do just that. >> reporter

last week another pilot rejected and let his plane crash than bomb ajdabiya.but the town defenders earn a high state of respect and they blast in the sky. they are not doing this for the benefit of our camera, as they prepare for the possibility of action, they are jumpy and nervous. few have any military experience. despite this don't mistake as a single series of actions. coming over and bombing people here in order to scare them. it's the coming of front line area. around the perimeter of ajdabiya defenses, i found that some men have taken up positions just in case that forces move in from the west. it doesn't seem particularly likely. but it's their way of showing their royalty to the rebellion and showing off their weaponry. >> new zealand has held a two-minute silence a week after the christchurch earthquake. the number of those lost may reach up to 200. and the estimated cost to reach 15 billion. it's a sad day as family and friends have been bury their loved ones. >> yes, and in the center of christchurch of the 6.3 quake that tore through seven days a

that allowed rebels to take ajdabiya. miles down the road to another strategic spot called brega. along the coastal road. however, we also spoke to some civilians in ajdabiya today. they say that pro-gadhafi forces may have kidnapped at least ten families. however, the rebels here say they're going to go all the way down to brega, all the way to tripoli chasing the gadhafi forces. >> mandy, you're on the ground there. how much momentum do the rebels feel they have behind them at this moment? >> they feel like the momentum, and the war now is back on their side. every rebel we've spoke to saying, thanks obama, thanks the western forces for providing these allied air strikes. because, really, it's those heavy weaponry that's really been stopping their advance. and now they feel like it's more of an equal battle with pro-gadhafi forces. >> mandy clark in libya. thank you. now over to russ. >> thank you, rebecca. let's get the latest on the disaster in japan. one of the reactors at the nuclear power plant may have been breach

smoke can be seen rising from ajdabiya in the distance. gadhafi still has tanks and artillery in the town. the rebels watch with binoculars but can't advance. outgunned, the rebels say they are killed whenever they approach gadhafi's forces. we have light weapons, he has tanks, complained one man. another rebel showed me he isn't actually armed at all. >> it's a toy gun. >> reporter: this is amazing. he just handed me his gun. i didn't realize until he put it in my hands, it's actually made of plastic. it's a toy. [ gunfire ] >> reporter: three explosions 50 yards away. we were doing the interviews, incoming rounds just landed in this area. some of the rebels are now starting to flee. rebels cheer that they survived this assault by gadhafi's army. >> there have been several artillery rounds that have landed right in this area. we're using this piece of concrete to take a little cover and to see if the artillery rounds stop long enough for us to get out of the area. >> reporter: shockingly the rebel we interviewed leaves cover to retrieve h

they were targeting the qaddafi forces defensive line around ajdabiya. coalition don't want to bomb inside the town for fear of killing civilians. some who were leaving the town said last night's attack had an immediate impact. >> qaddafi's army starts to leave their place in the west side because... because the planes start to hit them. >> reporter: the air strikes have suddenly opened up corridors enabling people to flee. this family said they'd been trapped in ajdabiya for 25 days, running from house to house. only now can they get out. no water? >> no water. no lights. >> reporter: no lights? >> no lights. >> reporter: very difficult. >> ( speaking arabic ) >> reporter: "god," he said, "was their only hope." some told me that qaddafi's soldiers were taking off their uniforms but keeping their weapons. >> ( translated ): from yesterday until now, they're shooting indiscriminately. when someone comes to rescue the injured, they fire with snipers. that's what is happening in ajdabiya. >> reporter: the rebels have rockets and some heavy weapons, but they

libyan planes and troops are pounding the rebel-held town of ajdabiya. only pockets of rebel resistance remain and it is reported that gadhafi has given orders to kill whoever is found in the city. if ajdabiya falls they have a clear path to benghazi. >>> "the new york times" says four of its journalists covering the revolt in libya are missing. they were last heard from tuesday as they were covering the battle at ajdabiya. libyan officials say they're trying to locate the journalists. there are unconfirmed reports that they're being held by pro-gadhafi forces. >>> the american cia contractor charged with murder in pakistan is in afghanistan, where he is being debriefed by u.s. officials according to the associated press. raymond davis was released yesterday, after pakistan paid $2.3 million in so-called blood money to the families of the two men he shot and killed. in january, davis said he was being robbed, and acted in self-defense. his wife says davis is not a killer.dzhy >> cool-headed, even-tempered, highly trained. you know, i knew that he did wha

yesterday, they reached be oil town of ajdabiya. forced to rebel forces to flee so that they could advance on the heart of the city. >> we liberated ajdabiya and we will continue. we are going to benghazi and we are in good condition. >> once in a secure, it is just a short drive across the desert to the last rebel stronghold. nothing but sand stands in their way. the row to benghazi is in front of them. not long ago, this town was taken by a rebel force that seemed to be pushing west to remove colonel gaddafi from power. this is all that is left of that hole. if there is going to be foreign military intervention, it is too late for the rebels here. opposition fighters say that the city is already under bombardment from the air. this was an attack on the city airport, a preludin to becoming a ground assault. colonel gaddafi is reported to giving an alternate -- the alternative to continued resistance. a ceasefire to give rebels a chance to surrender. in tripoli, those who speak at all speak with one voice. patriotism dedication to t

despite, they continue to hold ajdabiya hostage. mandy clark has the story. >> reporter: from the rebel-held capital to the front line of ajdabiya 100 miles away. we're jest seven miles away, but we can't go any further. down the road there are four pro gadhafi tanks and every time the vehicle goes over the rise, they fire at it. the city has been under siege for a week. it's moammar gadhafi's gateway to the rebel-held east. both sides have fought hard here with control of this city changing hands numerous times. rebels are vowing to push all the way to tripoli and bring down the government. we will take down that crazy gadhafi, he says. the latest reports we're hearing is that there is fierce fighting ongoing, the front line has been fluid moving several miles in a day. mandy clark, cbs news, benghazi. >>> this morning hamid karzai said afghan forces will take charge of security in seven areas come july, that includes a key taliban stronghold in the south. the first phase of security transfer from nato forces to afghan soldiers and

withstanding what will undoubtedly be a pinscher movement if, indeed, the libyan army moves from ajdabiyang the coastal road and through a desert road into benghazi. >> brown: now in the meantime, as we watched and said in our set-up piece, there's been continued discussions and debate in the international community about a no-fly zone or other actions but nothing definitive. what is your read on that? which countries have been pushing hard? which countries have been most his tent? and where do things stand right now? >> i think the international community and particularly secretary clinton has realized-- and she indicated that in her comments today in cairo-- that in a sense a no-fly zone is no longer really sufficient because what we really face is now a final fight in benghazi that in part will only be fought with airplanes but mostly perhaps with armored units, with tanks and so on. and when secretary clinton was talking in cairo and she said that we would seek additional authorization from the international community for measures beyond the no-fly zone, in a sense she indicated that

they had been fighting for a town called ajdabiya on the coast for four days. they took it overnight. they swept forward to the next town on the road called brega. they say that essentially the qaddafi... the pro-qaddafi forces are in really treat. now, they were able to take that territory because there was extensive bombing by the nato and allied planes last night that took out a lot of the pro- qaddafi heavy armor, the tanks and the heavy guns. it looks as if the pro-qaddafi forces are retreating to qaddafi's stronghold and the rebels are following. but it's pretty clear that they won't be able to take that town without very, very comprehensive and proactive support from the skies. >> schieffer: liz, thank you so much. liz palmer in tripoli this morning. good morning again. and we are joined in the studio by the secretary of state and the secretary of defense. madam secretary, let me start with you. tens of thousands of people have turned out protesting in syria, which has been under the iron grip of the assads for so many years now-- one of the most repress

regime declared a cease-fire, but his forces reportedly kept shelling two cities-- misurata and ajdabiya. and there are also reports that qaddafi's forces are headed toward benghazi, the rebels' capital. david martin at the pentagon begins our coverage. david, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, harry. less than 24 hours after the u.n. security council passed that resolution authorizing air strikes against libya, president obama delivered an ultimatum to qaddafi. >> these terms are not subject to negotiation. if qaddafi does not comply with the resolution, the international community will impose consequences. and the resolution will be enforced through military action. >> reporter: the terms of the ultimatum are stark. >> a cease-fire must be implemented immediately. that means all attacks against civilians must stop. >> reporter: not only that, but qaddafi must order his troops to retreat from cities they have either taken or threatened to take from the rebels. >> qaddafi must stop his troops from advancing on benghazi, pull them back from ajdabiya, misurata, and zawiyah and establ

gaddafi forces have been pushed back from benghazi and then ajdabiya. and now brega. brit, messy or not, is president obama's policy working out? >> so far, so good i'd say. i think what the president may be noticing here is for all that he is now saying about how we're not really front and center in this mission and it's really a multinational operation and so forth, this shows the inevitability of american leadership in the world. the ability that was shown to quickly impose a no-fly zone and begin to amount air attacks that turned back gaddafi's forces on the ground was carried out by american warplanes with help from other countries. now, of course, the matter goes to nato control, supreme allied commander in nato is an american. nato, itself, the military prowess is heavily american. this is a sign of the old adage not much good can really happen in the world without american leadership. and the president. despite the attempts to disguise is it interexcising american leadership. >> chris: nina the biggest issue now is what do we do about gaddafi? can we afford to

mercifully, one of the biggest airports in tunisia is close to the border, near ajdabiya.ee british charter jets began landing here today. france is also sending military planes too, and a ship. together, they'll bring out at least 10,000 evacuees. not far away, at the port of zarzis, things look quiet enough at first. but inside the transit shed here, many more await another route home to egypt. so, several hundred people in the transit shed behind me and the way out will be this, the egyptian auxiliary naval vessel, the haliab, they reckon they can take about 1,200 people on that. but if british officials figures are right, you'd need at least 60 ships like this to take all the egyptians home. >> warner: as european nations began rescue missions, the u.s. also moved military forces closer to libya today. two navy amphibious ships sailed through the suez canal, arriving in the mediterranean. they're capable of putting hundreds of marines ashore. meanwhile, the rebels in eastern libya called for outside air strikes against qaddafi's forces. but in washington, at a house he

. >> suarez: artillery shells rained down on ajdabiya today in a heavy, sustained attack, that left 30 dead and at least 80 wounded, according to local hospitals. the attack left the town badly damaged. it's now surrounded by pro- qaddafi forces. ajdabiya was seen as the gateway to an expected assault on the rebels' de facto capital, benghazi, just 100 miles to the north. qaddafi's warplanes have already launched air strikes near benghazi. the rebels have claimed they've shot down two of the government planes and launched their own air raids. pro-qaddafi forces were also said to be preparing new attacks on misrata, 130 miles from the libyan capital, tripoli, and the rebels' last stronghold in the west. meanwhile, the libyan army said it would halt operations on sunday to give the remaining rebels a last chance to surrender. qaddafi's rapid advance reverberated in washington, where top u.s. officials stepped up calls for action. >> part of our national interest is avoiding a humanitarian catastrophe in libya. that's not something that's shared only by the united states. that's why there

they were defeated in ajdabiya thanks to precision air strikes by coalition forces. the question now is, can the rebels keep up the momentum and will the coalition continue to pave the way? alex marquardt, abc news, benghazi, libya. >> of course there is lots to talk about with our senior white house correspondent jake tapper who is in for christiane amanpour hosting abc's "this week" later this morning. good morning, jake. >> good morning. >> the president will address the nation monday night. what points will he try to make during his speech? >> he'll talk about how the mission has been a success and now it's time for the u.s. to step back and play a support role. these are some of the questions that we're going to be asking our guests today on "this week." secretary of state hillary clinton and secretary of defense robert gates are questions along the lines of how long are we going to be there involved in this military action? in fact, that's a question specifically i put to defense secretary gates. do you think we'll be gone by the end of the year? will the missi

and crowds turned out at funerals in nearby ajdabiya. we have a series of reports from "independent television news" correspondents. first up, james mates, reporting from benghazi, on the situation in the east. >> reporter: yesterday morning, they had rushed from their homes to confront qaddafi's forces. ( gunfire ) today, they are being saluted as martyrs, volley after volley of gunfire, and a funeral attended by thousands from the town of ajdabiya. but not all the bodies they laid out ready for burial today were fighters. in one coffin was the body of hasan umran, who was 13, shot six more funerals, six more victims of colonel qaddafi's refusal to give up power. and tragically, here, no one believes these will be the last. one of those who died in this battle was kahlid taghdi, a libyan who lived in exile in manchester, the father of seven, who'd returned to rescue a daughter from the fighting. new pictures are now emerging of yesterday's fighting in which qaddafi used at least three, possibly more, airstrikes against the rebels. hasan

dabiya. -- ajdabiya. >> is it intensified from saturday, is what i'm asking. the not what you're doing. the. >> the u.n. security resolution is clear, and that is, that there is a cease-fire and those forces must stop all attacks against civilians. and the forces must stop advancing on those cities. and that humanitarian assistance must be allowed to reach people in libya. >> okay. admiral, we're out of time here. i will send it back to you for any closing remarks >> thank you. it has been a pleasure to talk with you today. you brought up some tough questions. that's why i'm here to insure you have a clear understanding of what the coalition forces are doing. in my opinion the coalition has accomplished quite a lot together. we'll continue to work together an insure protection of the people of libya against the violence of the current regime and violence and attacks against civilians must stop. while using ground forces for this effort is not an option. let me clarify there is no mistaking our clear commitment to protecting the libyan people. thank you for giv

alex, you just arrived in ajdabiya. can you describe the scene and the mood on the ground there? >> reporter: absolutely. ever since we've gotten here, there's been the loud sound of celebratory gunfire and honking. a lot of good news for these rebels here this morning. they've managed to push back the gadhafi forces away from this town, which has been the front line for at least a week. it's been besieged by the gadhafi forces. now, thanks to the air strikes, they're pushing back the gadhafi forces. and they are preparing for a march west. >> that begs the question, does the no-fly zone appear to be working? you've been there all week. >> reporter: well, it's not just the no-fly zone. it's also a no-drive zone. so, if you look at the west, the cities of misratah and vin tan are under gadhafi forces. but air strikes have been essential in the east. but they broke through the stalemate. there's no way the rebel forces would have been able to take back this town without the air strikes. the weapons are just too small, compared to what the gadhafi forces have. >> so, how well organi

they attacked opposition held town of ajdabiya, about 150 kilometers from benghazi. speaking to western media, gadhafi's son described the areas as the nation's life line and vowed they would never be given up. gadhafi's opponents have also taken to the airwaves to get their message out. a radio station in the stronghold northeastern libya is calling on citizens to rise up. nhk world has that story. >> reporter: a local radio station in al bayda, the voice of free libya. it used to be a state run radio station but sided with anti-government forces beginning last month. the station director is ali ashour, who is 56. the station director is 56. previously he had not been allowed to broadcast anything other than praise for colonel gadhafi, for which he felt ashamed. ast -government demonstrations month, and security troops killed more than 60 citizens. at the time many staff members gathered in ashour's office. they all resolved to stop broadcasting government propaganda and to support the demonstrators. >> reporter: the aspirations of freedom-seeking young people suppo

today french and british jets struck libyan artillery and tanks near ajdabiya. smoke could be seen miles away. late today, rebels began a new push to retake the city. and libyan state television showed damage from overnight air strikes in tripoli. nato, which is taking over control of enforcing the no-fly zone, said it's planning for a mission that would last three months. as other nations play a larger role, the u.s. is publicly taking a step back, but it's a small step. more on that from david martin at the pentagon. >> reporter: this is what the battle for libya looks like to a pilot. it's a british pilot attacking a libyan tank. but more than half the 96 strike missions in the past 24 hours were american. and so were all 16 of the tomahawk cruise missiles fired overnight. despite the announcement that nato would soon be taking command of the operation, the mesh military remains indispensable to its success. >> job one is to protect the libyan people and the job doesn't change just because we get a new boss. >> reporter: with the number of cruise missile atta

after the oil town of brega is the much bigger challenge of ajdabiya, the last town before benghazi.erence in benghazi, the opposition unveiled their top military commander, colonel qaddafi's former interior minister. he accepted that the war was entering a crucial phase. >> the battle is very important for us. we feel that the enemy will have serious logistical problems in supplying troops. >> what about benghazi itself? surely colonel qaddafi does not have enough troops to attack this city of a million people and would he use airpower against the civilian population here? many of the fighters at the city's hospital were injured in attacks by colonel qaddafi's warplanes. this man was wounded in an air strike on friday in an area since recaptured by the government and now 100 miles from the front line. this man has lost a hand after he was caught in another air strike in the oil town of brega. the surgeon treating him had one simple message. >> i want no-fly zone because the no-fly zone will decrease the number of people that are injured or killed. >> most of the casualties we're see

stephanie gosk, nbc news, ajdabiya, libya. >>> from the fight for libya to the thousands fleeing the country now, many international refugees in camp cities on the border with tunisia. today, thanks to the u.s. military, hundreds of egyptians were flown out and nbc's anne thompson was on board for their journey back home. >> reporter: this is the final leg of a refugee's journey home, tunisia's yurba airport. today some 4,000 international workers who escaped the violence in libya thanked their hosts as they slowly left their final transit camp. now they are tantalizingly close, about two football fields away from the airport. but they are still going to have to endure hour after hour of waiting, line after line, and four more stops before they can get on a plane. to move this global village of evacuees from africa and asia is an international airlift. german, swedish and american military come to help. four u.s. flights take egyptians home to cairo. >> on the flight last night i was on we had people clapping hangs, singing songs, waving their egyptian flags. >> reporter: 82 egyptian

brega and ajdabiya were the latest cities to fall. still photos show rebels and civilians fleeing the area under heavy shelling from qaddafi loyalists. the rebels hope to regroup in benghazi which they still control. and coming up next, putting their lives on the line. the 50 workers still on the job at that damaged nuclear plant. nuclear plant. [ female announcer ] sometimes you need tomorrow to finish what you started today. for the aches and sleeplessness in between, there's motrin pm. no other medicine, not even advil pm, is more effective for pain and sleeplessness. motrin pm. is more effective for pain and sleeplessness. everything is better with swanson broth in it. an essential ingredient in any kitchen. swanson 100% natural chicken broth. wonder where the durango's been for the last two years? well, it toured around europe, getting handling and steering lessons on those sporty european roads. it went back to school, got an advanced degree in technology. it's been working out -- more muscle and less fat. it's only been two yea

as you said there are reports of heavy fighting around ajdabiya.id to be on three sides of it. the only open side is the north side along the road toward benghazi. reports as well about bombing at the airport at benghazi where the rebels have claimed, unconfirmed, but claimed to be flying a fueled airplanes with sorties of its own. a manager at the airport tells us, in fact, a bomb did fall but it fell harmlessly in some outside area of the airport. >> mark phillips, thank you, mark. >>> secretary of state hillary clinton says one term as the nation's top diplomat will be enough. asked yesterday in cairo if she would continue to serve in a second term obama administration, a potential second term administration, clinton said no. she also said she will not run again for president. >>> president obama is ready for march madness, it appears. he broke out the brackets at the white house yesterday and made his picks in the ncaa basketball tournament. didn't exactly go out on a limb, though. for his final four he chose all number one seeds, ohio state, p

we hit qaddafi's troops in neighboring ajdabiya allowing the opposition to drive them out. we hit qaddafi's air defenses which paved the way for a no fly zone. we targeted tanks and military assets that had been choking off towns and cities and we cut off much of their source of supply. and tonight i can report that we have stopped qaddafi's deadly advance. in this effort, the united states has not acted alone. instead, we have been joined by a strong and growing coalition. this includes our closest allies, nations like the united kingdom, france, canada, denmark, norway, italy, spain, greece, and turkey. all of whom have fought by our sides for decades. and it includes arab partners like qatar and the united arab emirates who have chosen to meet their responsibilities to defend the libyan people. to summarize then, in just one month, the united states has worked with our international partners to mobilize a broad coalition, secure an international mandate to protect civilians, stop an advance army, prevent a massacre, and establish a no fly zone with our allies and partner